In subterranean oil and gas wells, rates and volumes of fluids and gases are typically measured by meters and other physical means at the surface. Multi-phase fluid flow is a term used in the industry to indicate that gas, oil and water may be flowing in various combinations. For example, it is known to use a capacitance-probe technique or turbine flow meter or a combination of multiple techniques to measure the amount of free water and oil or gas passing through the well-head. Such measurements may be used to continuously monitor total oil production, to measure co-mingled production streams, and to determine total water, oil and gas production for the well. It is also known in the art to obtain data from downhole with remote sensors such as temperature or pressure transducers or flow meters. Such data is stored in downhole memory and replayed after the tools are retrieved from the well. Such measurements may also be obtained and transmitted to the surface in real time.
Production estimation is generally performed by direct measurements of production rates, over time, at the surface of the well. Pressure and temperature conditions are sometimes used to adjust metered gas or liquid per volume measured at the surface. Problems arise, however, due to an inability of current systems and methodology to obtain measurements of downhole multi-phase flow rates near where fluids first enter the wellbore. Problems associated with the inability to determine multi-phase fluid rates include, but are not limited to, limitations on assessing the efficiency of production and injection operations, incomplete information for planning remedial operations, and inaccuracies in logging production from the various production zones within the well.
Improvements in the ability to determine downhole multi-phase fluid rates would result in better monitoring of the various production streams within the well despite their becoming co-mingled at the surface and in making decisions concerning well management, such as injection and stimulation decisions. Methods and systems capable of providing timely and accurate estimates of multi-phase fluid rates would be useful and desirable in the arts for enhancing multi-phase flow profiling, improving production, improving monitoring of production and injection operations, and making workover and stimulation decisions.